Cost of living in Chester research summary. The cost of living index is set to 100 for the average place in the United States. A cost of living index above 100 means Chester is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.
On a city-by-city basis in Illinois, home prices and rent have the biggest impact on the cost of living. Here are the key takeaways based on Saturday Night Science:
The cost of living index in Chester is 79, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Chester is 0.8x lower than the national average.
Chester ranks as the #9 cheapest in Illinois out of 338.
Chester ranks as the #155 cheapest out of 6,412 in the US.
The median home value in Chester is $98,900.
The median income in Chester is $56,368.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Chester has an overall cost of living index of 79, which is 0.8x lower than the national index of 100.
Compared to Illinois, Chester has a cost of living index that's 0.9x lower than Illinois's index of 92.
The standard of living in Chester ranks as #9 most affordable out of the 338 places we measured in Illinois. By definition, that implies Chester ranks as the #329 most expensive place in the Prairie State.
For more reading on life in Chester, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Chester. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Chester is 92.
The Groceries index in Chester is 103.
The Health index in Chester is 90.
The Housing index in Chester is 49.
The Transportation index in Chester is 88.
The Utilities index in Chester is 97.
Living Expense | Chester | Illinois | National Average | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Overall | 79 | 92 | 100 | |
Services | 92 | 95 | 100 | |
Groceries | 103 | 98 | 100 | |
Health | 90 | 96 | 100 | |
Housing | 49 | 81 | 100 | |
Transportation | 88 | 105 | 100 | |
Utilities | 97 | 90 | 100 |
Housing swings affordability the most between places in Illinois, so we broke down housing costs into more detail. Home and income data comes from the most recent US Census ACS 2017-2021. The key points are:
The Median Home Value in Chester is $98,900.
The Median Rent in Chester is $621.
The Median Income in Chester is $56,368.
The Home Value To Income in Chester is 1.8x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Chester is 0.13x.
Statistic | Chester | Illinois | United States |
---|---|---|---|
Median Home Value | $98,900 | $212,600 | $244,900 |
Median Rent | $621 | $1,097 | $1,163 |
Median Income | $56,368 | $72,563 | $69,021 |
Home Value To Income | 1.8x | 2.9x | 3.5x |
Rent To Monthly Income | 0.13x | 0.18x | 0.2x |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Chester. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
O'Fallon, IL has a cost of living index of 99, 1.3x Chester.
Carbondale, IL has a cost of living index of 85, 1.1x Chester.
Fairview Heights, IL has a cost of living index of 87, 1.1x Chester.
City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Chester |
---|---|---|---|
O'Fallon, IL | 31,963 | 99 | 1.3x |
Carbondale, IL | 22,388 | 85 | 1.1x |
Fairview Heights, IL | 16,601 | 87 | 1.1x |
Swansea, IL | 15,037 | 94 | 1.2x |
Shiloh, IL | 13,638 | 98 | 1.2x |
Columbia, IL | 11,090 | 94 | 1.2x |
Waterloo, IL | 10,906 | 92 | 1.2x |
Mascoutah, IL | 8,803 | 92 | 1.2x |
Carterville, IL | 5,839 | 93 | 1.2x |
Pinckneyville, IL | 5,262 | 81 | 1.0x |